Padberg to Run Bush Campaign in California, Hawaii

Orange County political consultant Eileen Padberg, who counts among her many campaigns Clint Eastwood’s successful race last year to become mayor of Carmel, Thursday was named director of Vice President George Bush’s 1988 presidential effort in California and Hawaii.

Padberg, 43, will be responsible primarily for setting up grass-roots groups in the two states. She is one of seven U.S. regional directors hired by Bush.

Rich Bond, Bush’s national campaign manager, said by hiring Padberg, the campaign is “sending a signal that we’re intending to take California very seriously.” He said because California’s primary is nearly a year away, well after most states have elected their delegates, there is a temptation on the part of many candidates not to form an organization here until well into next year.

“We’re not going to take that gamble,” Bond said, because Bush intends to have his campaign positioned here to take advantage of the state’s enormous cache of 176 winner-take-all delegates.

Padberg, who was a partner with consultant Bob Nelson for more than seven years, recently formed her own firm and is in partnership with Susan DeSantis, former director of the Department of Housing and Community Development for Gov. George Deukmejian.

Besides Eastwood’s campaign, Padberg ran campaigns for Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates, state Sen. John Seymour (R-Anaheim) and Nevada Gov. Bob List. She also ran the “no” efforts against a no-smoking initiative in 1982 and a bottle-deposit measure in 1984.

In her new post with the Bush campaign, Padberg said she first will draw upon lists of supporters who have already aligned themselves with the vice president “to make sure all these people get something they can do.”

According to Bond, Bush has raised just shy of $1 million in the state, and much more will be tapped as the race heats up among Bush and his foes, who include Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, Rep. Jack Kemp of New York, TV minister Pat Robertson, former Delaware Gov. Pierre S. (Pete) duPont IV, former Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. and former Nevada Sen. Paul Laxalt.

Among the Orange County residents who have already declared their support for Bush are such prominent developers as the Irvine Co.’s Donald L. Bren; Donald M. Koll; George L. Argyros of Arnel Development, and William Lyon.